Keeping the city clean on race day

Cape Town-140304-Ministers Alan Winde and Robin Carlisle as well as David Bellairs and Renee Jordaan from the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust and Jermaine Craig from The Cape Argus visited Chapmans Peak to inspect it and declare it open for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour-Reporter-Warren Fortune-Photographer-Tracey Adams

Thirty-five thousand cyclists racing 109km through city streets and national park land, can create a lot of trash. But for this year’s Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour on Sunday, environmental impact is once again high on organisers’ radar.

It’s not only the energy gel sachets, trail mix packages and water cups participants leave behind, but their transport to the starting line, fire hazards, noise pollution and the effects on plants and wildlife.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust has forged another partnership to ensure responsible environmental practices, enlisting the Environmental Law Consultancy to assess its existing environmental efforts.

The consultancy’s managing director Peter Flynn said the partnership would help bring tour organisers’ environmental initiatives into line with international management standards.

“We just want to assist to bring a professional approach to it in the quest for continuous improvement.”

In 2002, the tour became the first cycling event in the world to incorporate a comprehensive environmental management plan.